Archive of News and Press Releases
Of Fin Whale aggregations, trace metals and the end of the expedition
We have now entered the last phase of our expedition. After spending a week surrounded by sea- and glacier ice south of the West Antarctic Peninsula we have arrived back at Elephant Island, where we will spend the remaining time of the expedition before heading back to Punta Arenas.
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Arctic Survivalists
They form the basis of the Arctic food web – and are extremely tough: even when the water becomes more acidic and the available light or temperatures change, various phytoplankton assemblages in the Arctic demonstrate undiminished productivity and biodiversity. This was the main finding presented in a study by researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute, which they jointly release with their Canadian colleagues advanced online in the journal Nature Climate Change. Yet the question of whether this source of food for seals, whales and commercially…
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In the focus of international cooperation on signs of climate change
The delegations were informed in detail about international cooperation at the site with a focus on climate and environmental research. Accompanied by Kim Holmen, International Director at the Norwegian Polar Research Institute NPI, the visit to Svalbard gave them a chance to see the effects of climate change up close.
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The future of the Thwaites Glacier
A joint UK-US research programme launched today is one of the most detailed and extensive examinations of a massive Antarctic glacier ever undertaken. The Alfred Wegener Institute directly participated in an expedition during which researchers explored the structure of the ice and of the ground below it.
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AWI researchers measure a record concentration of microplastic in arctic sea ice
Experts at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) have recently found higher amounts of microplastic in arctic sea ice than ever before. However, the majority of particles were microscopically small. The ice samples from five regions throughout the Arctic Ocean contained up to 12,000 microplastic particles per litre of sea ice. Further, the different types of plastic showed a unique footprint in the ice allowing the researchers to trace them back to possible sources. This involves the massive garbage patch in…
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Krill, seals and humpack whales in the Weddell Sea
The last week, we spent in the waters around the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. We have been really lucky again regarding the weather and, in addition to our scientific endeavors, spent some wonderful sunny days in the ice around Joinville Island and the Peninsula.
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Salps, krill, and Elephant Island
The past week we have spent studying the waters around Elephant Island. Although this region is known for its harsh weather conditions we have been lucky and were able to continuously carry out our scientific experiments. The mood on board is very good and all working groups have made decent progress. .
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Research
AWI Director Antje Boetius welcomes a delegation of the University Laval, Canada, and the french research organisation CNRS. Scientists of both institutions present current and foreseen projects and discuss on future cooperation.
Antje Boetius is awarded the Vernadsky Medal 2018
The AWI-director, deep-sea scientist and leader of one of MPI’s research groups, Prof Dr Antje Boetius, receives the prestigious Vernadsky Medal for her groundbreaking contributions to biogeosciences and spearheading research on methane-based metabolisms and the marine carbon cycle.
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AWI researchers fulfil prominent roles in the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report
The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has now announced the Lead Authors for its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), and experts from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) fulfil prominent roles in this regard: Prof. Hans-Otto Pörtner, an ecophysiologist at the AWI, has been Co-Chair (with Prof. Debra Roberts (South Africa) of the IPCC’s Working Group II since 2016. In addition, Dr Björn Rost and Prof. Dieter Piepenburg of the AWI have now agreed to serve as Lead Authors for individual chapters of…
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